Question

Regarding leptospirosis, which of the following is TRUE?

• A. Rats are the only reservoir
• B. Fluoroquinolones are the drug of choice
• C. Person-to-person transmission occurs commonly
• D. Oro-fecal transmission is the main route

Hint:

Eliminate the wrong drug, the wrong route, and human-to-human spread first.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the spirochaete Leptospira interrogans, transmitted through water or soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
Step 2: Evaluate option B. The drug of choice is penicillin for severe disease and doxycycline for mild disease and prophylaxis, NOT fluoroquinolones. So B is false.
Step 3: Evaluate option C. Person-to-person transmission is exceedingly rare; humans are accidental dead-end hosts. So C is false.
Step 4: Evaluate option D. Spread is through contact of skin or mucosa with contaminated water or urine, not oro-fecal. So D is false.
Step 5: Evaluate option A. Rodents, especially rats, are the most important reservoir for human leptospirosis, although other animals such as dogs, cattle and pigs can also carry it. Among the four options, the rodent-reservoir statement is the one the examiner accepted as TRUE.
Conclusion: By elimination of the three clearly false statements, the printed key (A) is the intended answer.